Demark Parcel Post Overprint

The two Stamps below are, I believe, Q1 and Q13 (Scott #).

I have a question about the overprint "POSTFAERGE" though. In both cases, it is heavy, somewhat over inked, and not well aligned with the stamp itself.

I have no reason to suspect that it's not legitimate as both are used and both were in collections rather than sold individually. However, I did wonder if this is common for the earlier Parcel Post issues. As well, it would be great if someone could shed some light on how the overprints were applied to the stamp at that time. Later ones seem to be much cleaner with good alignment and crisp, easily legible lettering.

Stamps overprinted that way show in Scott's as Parcel Post stamps (Qxx in the catalog), but they don't make mention of anything other than a nice clear overprint.

Scotts says " These stamps were for use on postal packets sent by the Esbjerg-Fano Ferry Service." Probably hand stamped which would account for varying amounts of ink. Damp sea air, new ink pad, heavy handed mail clerk.

According to Facit,




There is no mention of handstamps. Also, in your bottom pic, it appears the handstamp is on top of the cancel.

It appears that the cancel on the 30o is Svendborg, which is quite a ways from Esbjerg (if this was to have been a parcel stamp for a ferry run). Anyone with specific knowledge of Denmark, or (even better) the ferry service?

Curiouser and curiouser.

I hauled out the high magnification and took a really good look at those two which is something that I had not thought to do before. I agree that it really does appear that someone, somewhere, has created a little handstamp, posibly two since the second part of the word does not align with the first all that well, and has treated some previously used stamp. It really does look as if the overprint runs across the cancel though that, under high magnification, is still a little uncertain.

As I said, these two were found in a small general worldwide collection, probably compiled in the late 1940's, early 1950's and it was of North American origin. So whatever was done happened more than fifty years ago.

Why would someone bother? Yes the catalogue value is somewhat higher (I checked) for the early issues but retail on individual stamps would currently be only a few dollars at best in Canada or the U.S. and would have been much less at the apparent time of manufacture. Something this crude is not something I would pay even a few dollars for if I knew nothing about it (which I don't).

If nothing else, it makes an interesting aside to my collection and I am still wondering if anyone can come up with any more information on the series or the reason behind the forgeries.

Thanks for the suggestions.

There are multiple forgeries of this series. Yours are actually the worst I've seen.

both your stamps are, as mentioned, horrible forgeries.

Normally you only see them unused with fake cancels.. attempts to create new overprints you don't see often.

ALL parcel stamps MUST be cancelled with the oval cancels or the line cancels. Yours have "brotype" and "Lapidar" cancels on them.

You can see the 30 ore is stamped over the cancel.
The 10 ore may be as well, it's hard to tell from the photo.
Both stamps are very collectable as examples of forgeries.

H[URL=http://s463.photobucket.com/user/stamp12345/media/denmarkfakeparcelpost.jpg.html"][/URL]ere is a better forgery of that series from my collection .

For a side-by-side genuine vs. forgery comparison of these stamps, check out this link:
http://stampforgeries.com/denmark-post-ferry/